Last night, Lupe Fiasco took a break from attempting to set the record for uses of the word "bitch" on an MTV station to preview tracks from his upcoming album to a small bunch of journalist types. That album, Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Part One, is due out on September 25; SOTC was privy to a tantalizing preview of six tracks. Here's what we discerned from them. (And note: We did not grumble about the lack of an even rudimentary cheese plate.)

1. It's About Figuring Out America
Talking about the overriding concept behind Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Part One, Lupe called it his attempt to write a bunch of "songs about America [and] songs about hip-hop." The recording process, he added, was part of his attempt to "figure out America."

2. A Lot Of The Album Was Recorded During The Lasers Sessions
Lupe admitted that boisterous tracks like "Put 'Em Up" and "Form Follows Function," both produced by the 1500s, were actually recorded during the same studio sessions that became Lasers. After Lupe "hit a wall with the label" during that particular project, he kept the tape running.

3. It's Inspired By Howard Zinn and Chris Hedges
Proudly taking out a couple of books from his backpack, Lupe revealed that much of his latest project was prompted by reading a book of Howard Zinn's speeches (soft cover) and Chris Hedges's Days Of Destruction, Days Of Revolt (hardback).

4. Lupe And President Obama Are Sill Not BFFs
Lupe caused some degree of controversy when he suggested that the good lord Barack Obama's foreign policy might actually be cultivating terrorism. The new album sees him sticking to his stance, not least with Lupe referencing a speech that Zinn gave in opposition to Presidential policy and stating that Zinn is "way smarter than the President." A Hip-Hop Squares showdown seems the only fair way to settle this argument.